Facebook's Early Employee Shares Experience Of Working With Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg: 'Hire Fast, Fire Faster'

May 20, 202410:27 UTC

One of Facebook’s early employees, Noah Kagan, shared insights into Mark Zuckerberg’s management style. Kagan, who worked for Zuckerberg for nine months, revealed the CEO’s stringent approach to talent management.

What Happened: Kagan, who joined Facebook in 2005, shared his experience in a recent post.

He highlighted Zuckerberg’s focus on recruiting top talent, a practice that has remained consistent over the years. Kagan noted that Zuckerberg only hired individuals he would be happy to work for, even in the early days of Facebook.

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"Mark would only hire people he would be happy to work for. Even our customer support team was filled with Harvard Ph.D.s," Kagan said.

Noah Kagan
@noahkagan
8) Only hire A players
Mark would only hire people he would be happy to work for.
Even our customer support team was filled with Harvard Ph.D.s.
Facebook employees have gone on to start Asana, Quora, AppSumo, OpenAi, and more.
A startup depends on great people much more than...
May 07, 2024

This stringent approach also extended to talent retention, with Kagan stating that Zuckerberg was quick to dismiss those who did not meet his expectations.

"My boss was fired the day I started. My next boss was fired a month later. I got fired in 9 months. Mark was intense about keeping A players only."

Noah Kagan
@noahkagan
2) Hire fast, fire faster
My boss was fired the day I started. My next boss was fired a month later. I got fired in 9 months.
Mark was intense about keeping A players only.
At @AppSumo, we run paid trials with potential teammates before bringing them on full-time.
May 07, 2024

Despite his short tenure, Kagan’s experience shed light on Zuckerberg’s unwavering management style. This is evident in Meta’s recent activities, including significant layoffs, all in a bid to create a more efficient organization.

Why It Matters: Zuckerberg’s leadership style has been a subject of interest over the years. From his early days at Facebook to his current role as CEO of Meta Platforms Inc. META, his approach to talent management has remained consistent.

This is evident in Meta’s recent recruitment efforts – he has reportedly tried to poach AI talent from Alphabet Inc.'s Google DeepMind by sending out personal emails and offering jobs without interviews.

Zuckerberg’s personal interests outside of work have also evolved over the years – from mixed martial arts (MMA) to his bromance with Nvidia Corp. founder Jensen Huang.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: Anthony Quintano on Flickr